1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to color customization in electronic mail, and more particularly, to systems and methods for customizing colors used in Email messages based on cultural perspective and geographic location of the recipient.
2. Description of the Related Art
Color often implies very different meanings in different cultures of human society. For example, the color red symbolizes good luck in the Chinese culture. In the American culture, among others, the color red is used as a warning and to signal danger or an emergency. In the Korean culture, text written in red is traditionally was used to convey an insulting message. Especially, names written in red symbolizes death.
Furthermore, emergency exits are marked with green signs in many Asian countries since in Asian cultures the color green symbolizes life, whereas in the United States an emergency exit is marked with signs having the color red to indicate an emergency situation. In other examples, in the Western cultures the color white is associated with-purity and wedding ceremonies, whereas in the East (i.e., in many Asian societies), the color white is used and associated with death and funeral/burial ceremonies.
Color is often used in email messages for emphasis, highlighting effects in text, designs, drawings, images, etc. Color itself often provides a context for the message being sent and received, often imparting different connotations and meanings to any additional data in the message.
With the Internet, email is often exchanged between individuals in different countries and regions throughout the world. However, email does not provide the elements of a face-to-face communication, and thus there is a greater chance for misunderstandings in communication. Indeed, communication problems can arise from the interchange of messages between people of diverse cultures.
For example, the difference in meanings of various colors based on different cultural points of view can sometimes disrupt, impede or cause misinterpretation in communications (e.g., in written email communications), between people of different cultures, and thus cause miscommunication and misunderstandings at a “meta-message” level, as individuals from different cultures often have a disparate, sometimes wholly opposite understanding of what even a single particular color implies or represents.
It is difficult and unlikely for all or most individuals to be aware of and keep track of appropriate colors for use in messages sent to all other areas of the world. Even if one was adept and knowledgeable as to all the acceptable and appropriate colors to be used in email communication based on customs and perspectives in other cultures, it is inconvenient to manually adjust every email message sent to every recipient so as to avoid sending emails which might cause any misunderstandings based on inappropriate color use. Indeed, to be expected to do so would defeat the purpose of email as being an efficient and expedient mode of communication.
Accordingly, a system and method for improving email communication sent and received across different cultures is highly desirable.